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FLY & DINE: Shelter Cove, California (K0Q5)

By Stuart Stein / Published: Aug 25, 2011
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There are a number of full-service, sit down restaurants on the cove. The historic Chart Room, the seafood-oriented Cove Restaurant and the hidden gem Cape Mendocino Tea House all have their merits. For a casual and unpretentious dinner, the Fish Tank Pizzeria is the perfect hole-in-the-wall. It’s a Neapolitan-style pizzeria. Like the Fish Tank Espresso Café, the Fish Tank Pizzeria is a tiny, mostly carry-out restaurant also located on the Inn of the Lost Coast property. There are a few seats inside and several tables set up on the outside veranda to sit and enjoy a beer or glass of wine.

Pizza was born in Naples and is characterized by buffalo milk mozzarella cheese, limited ingredients and a flat bread style crust. With a few twists, Paul and Maria Santiago are doing their best to live up to that tradition. They offer a limited variety of thin crust, crispy pies and virtually nothing else. In this tourist-based town, businesses need to offer a little something for everyone. With that philosophy in mind, the Santiago’s menu does have the cliché pineapple and Canadian bacon based Hawaiian ($17 / $20) and the ingredient heavy beef and sour cream based Mexican ($22 / $25).

Good pizza tastes of the ingredients and of love. It’s a balance of all the four basic tastes – sweet, sour, salty and bitter. The Fish Tank shines when it concentrates on simple and flavorful: the mixed cheese pizza ($12 / $15), Italian sausage and mozzarella pizza ($15 / $18) or the sausage, mozzarella and vegetable calzone ($9.50). These items show their skill, dedication and their understanding of the art of pizza making. This is one place that needs to serve pizza-by-the-slice along with whole pies.

Shelter Cove is tourist based without feeling touristy. Do be aware that many businesses fail to keep regular hours, so make sure you call before arriving. Even so, it’s the perfect place to spend a lazy day playing golf, whale watching, having a relaxing meal or just taking a stroll on the rocky, black-sand beach.

Shelter Cove Airport (0Q5)
Elevation: 69 ft. / 21 m (estimated)
Sectional chart: Klamath Falls and N San Francisco
Control tower: no
ARTCC: Oakland Center
FSS: Oakland FSS
Pattern Altitude: 1,069 ft. MSL
Runways: 12/30 3,400 ft. x 75 ft.
Traffic Pattern: Right traffic for Runway 12
Wind indicator:  yes, lighted
Segmented circle: yes
Lights: no
CTAF: 122.9
There are tie-downs at both the north and south end of the taxiway.

Inn of the Lost Coast
205 Wave Drive
Shelter Cove, CA 95589
Phone: (707) 986-7521
Toll free: (888) 570-9676
Fax: (707) 986-7524
www.innofthelostcoast.com
Pet friendly, courtesy cars and no reservation cancellation fees for pilots due to weather. 10% discount available for AOPA members, AARP members and AAA.

The Fish Tank Espresso Gallery
205 Wave Drive
Suite 104
Shelter Cove, CA 95589
Phone: (707) 986-7404
Breakfast Hours:
Daily, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 5 to 9 p.m.

The Fish Tank Pizzeria
205 Wave Drive
Ste 1B
Shelter Cove, CA 95589
Phone: (707) 986-7672
Hours September through May:
Thursday to Monday, 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Hours June through August:
Daily, 4:30 to 10 p.m
http://thefishtankpizzeria.com

Shelter Cove Golf Links
1555 Upper Pacific Dr
Shelter Cove, California 95589
Phone: (707) 986-1464
Fax: (707) 986-7435
http://sheltercove-ca.gov/golf.html

See our Shelter Cove photo gallery.

The above airport information is not for navigational purposes. Please obtain up-to-date airport information from the FAA before flight.

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daviator's picture

Shelter Cove is a great destination and a nice weekend getaway. Not a lot to do there other than golfing or some limited hiking and beach exploring, so bring a book! It's a lot easier to get to by plane than by car.

Be sure to keep a CLOSE eye on the weather, the fog can roll in very quickly, and can stick around for days. VFR pilots have been stuck there for extended periods when the weather changed unexpectedly.

Thomas Boyle's picture

Very romantic destination. Not a good spot to have an engine problem, either on final or after takeoff, because the runway is on a shelf that goes vertically into the surf at both ends. Also, when I was there, there was no fuel on the field.

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